The long-awaited 2.6 Linux kernel is finally available for embedded systems. The latest incarnation of BlueCat Linux from LynuxWorks plans to use the new kernel. The 2.6 kernel is preemptible, providing reduced interrupt latency. It also supports futexes (Fast User-Space Mutexes) that provide mutex support, which only employs kernel overhead when contention occurs. The I/O scheduling subsystem was completely rewritten for better performance and quicker response time. A faster POSIX thread library also offers improved compatibility, simplifying porting of POSIX-based applications to Linux.
BlueCat Linux is code-compatible with LynuxWorks' hard real-time LynxOS. BlueCat RT is a real-time version of Linux based on FSM Labs' RTLinux/Pro kernel.
Contact LynuxWorks for licensing details. An evaluation version of BlueCat Linux is available as a free download. Bundled developer kits come with LynuxWorks VisualLynux, a plug-in for the Microsoft Visual Studio IDE, or Metrowerks' CodeWarrior support. The bundled version also includes SpyKer, a system trace tool that doesn't require an instrumented application.
www.lynuxworks.com